The Long Fall to Hell
by Blank-Page-Emperor
Summary: Gnosa Maximillian and the AMP learn about the being that created the Silent Crisis...the hard way. R&R, please.
1. Chaos Paladin

Alright, people. This is my first and best attempt at a Silent Mobius fanfic. I can't remember everything about it, even though I've seen every episode. I've worked around terms and circumstances I don't know, and there might be faults in what I do recall. So please, bear with me here.  
  
Now, for a disclaimer: I do not own Silent Mobius. I'm not even a very big fan. I just see plenty of opportunity. Once more, copyright infringement isn't something I intend to be charged with. However, the character of the Chaos Paladin is mine, and mine alone. Use him elsewhere (without my permission), and you shall face the wrath of a lycanthropic Neo-Communist momma's boy who won't take "sorry" for an answer and has ADD, as well as a reasonably short temper. A big "thank you" goes out to the man who came up with created Silent Mobius, nonetheless.  
  
Once more, I do not own Silent Mobius. If I did, then the AMP would work for me, and there would be a goth chick amongst their ranks.  
  
Now then, I'm done preaching. This is "Silent Mobius: The Long Fall to Hell." Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 1: Chaos Paladin  
"You of all people should have a good reason for bothering me."  
"I do."  
Gnosa Maximillian stood far from the city, deep within the wasteland created by the Silent Crisis. This was not going to be easy. Maximillian's long, purple hair extended to his shoulders now, no farther. His face had softened. As he knew it, he was a few inches shorter. Gnosa's last plan had backfired completely. He was now growing steadily younger. This man was his best shot at revenge. The tall, muscular form clothed completely in black was no pushover. His spiky hair with black and crimson streaks was a contrast to his black, empty eyes. A handsome face, but cruel in its attractiveness, was framed by the collar of a black suit and a cape compromised of many layers of tar-colored cloth that no light at all reflected off of. Plates of a black metal sewn in stood out against the rest. He wielded an enormous sword, kept hidden by an equally gigantic sheath kept on the stranger's back. In the moonlight, the man's various facial tattoos shone a dark purple. It was a quiet facade for a riotous force within.  
Gnosa took an uneasy step back. This man wouldn't help him and the Lord of Nemesis against the AMP easily. A strong wind blew Maximillian's cape about violently. The man spoke, obviously annoyed by the silence of his potential employer.  
"Well? Do you know how to talk?"  
The voice was like that of a normal man, but with a cold bite in the tone.  
"I...I require your services."  
"You might. Explain."  
"I am Gnosa Maximillian, a wizard in service of..."  
"The Lord of Nemesis. I can tell you're part Lucifer-Hawk. I understand this operation will claim many lives. I find it enticing."  
"But you are in no way of Nemesis. You're human. I can tell. Why..."  
"Fool! I'm neither. I am the darkness of the cosmos..."  
He drew his huge blade.  
"...and this is King Bleeder."  
The gigantic sword was a blood-red color, and more like a perversely large dagger than a saber. Suddenly, two glowing red eyes opened on the weapon, one on each side. From the blade, a bloodlike substance of a deep burgundy dripped. Gnosa was startled to find the sword speaking:  
"I am indeed King Bleeder. The name makes sense, does it not? If you wanted to know, I've got relations with Grospalina, Mr. Maximillian. I cannot believe you dared to use something as inferior as Medium in your scheme. Stupid!"  
The weapon splattered its "blood" all over Gnosa, and the man began again:  
"If you can't tell, my sword dislikes you."  
The blade started back: "Still, you will wish to receive our assistance in ridding yourself of the AMP, correct?"  
"Yes," Maximillian stated blatantly as he wiped his face off. "Of course. You are invaluable to our operations. You mentioned Katsumi Liqueur's sword."  
"Grospalina is no concern of mine. He is far inferior to me. Medium even more so."  
"Very well. But will you hear me out?" Gnosa growled. " I can make you assist, but I do not wish to be hostile..."  
The stranger cut in: "You dare to question the power of King Bleeder and the Chaos Paladin? You can't touch this! But why don't you give it a shot?"  
The grin on the man's face vanished.  
"This is Leonid Klein you're talking to. Come on!"  
"Leonid...Klein? So be it! Come!"  
Immediately, swarms of Lucifer-Hawk filled the darkness, filling the night with surreal shapes, haunting shrieks, and demonic, jeering laughter. Gnosa and Leonid exchanged smug looks, and King Bleeder seemingly sharpened. The dark horde rushed at Klein, who was apparently waiting for them.  
"Pathetic!" he spat as he swung the blade, slicing nearly a dozen in half. The sword's blade suddenly opened along the top edge, and three large gun barrels projected a millimeter from the sharp perimeter.  
"Blood slug!" Leonid roared as he took the sword in both hands, and aimed it an oncoming C-type, a large, light blue one with many strangely bent wings. King Bleeder fired a hemoglobin-red shot from the top barrel. It struck the creature at an impossible speed, blew it to pieces, and continued through several more, eventually exploding upon contact with Gnosa's own energy barrier. Maximillian grimaced, no longer sure what he was up against.  
"Whoa! That thing has firepower!"  
He watched in astonishment as Klein held King Bleeder in one hand and punched straight through the torso of another monstrous C-type with the other. The Lucifer-Hawk massacre continued as Leonid muttered a spell and the previously impaled creature rotted into a vile sludge around his fist, forming a large, filthy puddle on the ground bellow. He dipped his massive weapon into the repugnant pool, and the sword absorbed the substance entirely. The victim's acidic remains were then sprayed over nearly four dozen weaker ones, which fell to the ground and burned with a green fire, writhing and screeching until they were consumed by the virulent flames.  
"How the...What are you?!" Gnosa demanded, awestruck and repulsed at the same time.  
"Good question!" Klein called back with a laugh. "Time to get this moving along. I've got more important things to be doing. King Bleeder! Aten em Seker!"  
"What could this spell be?"  
Maximillian stared as the sword's blade grew, twisting several feet in many directions, ultimately settling on a warped, semi-conic pyramid shape. Suddenly, the half-human Lucifer-Hawk commander noticed that the blade's wielder had changed as well. Four gigantic black wings, like those of a dragon, bat, and crow all at once, had grown from his back. In his hair, razor-sharp, blood-red horns protruded. Klein grinned, revealing long, beastly fangs where his canines had been. His eyes now effectively glowed a light-absorbing black. The tattoos on his face were the same way.  
"This is the real me!" Leonid roared in an inhuman voice. "Now, King Bleeder, let's finish this!"  
"BLEED!" the sword screamed in its own altered, surreal hiss. Pieces of the now-purple blade rose, ultimately showing thirteen huge turrets. The weapon was wavering like ripples in water, as was the air around it.  
"OBLIVION!" the pair erupted simultaneously. A football field-sized wave of dark force swept out before them. Maximillian barely had to prepare himself.  
"Incredible..."  
There was no luminescence in his vision, the city lights drowned out. Everything was completely dark. He felt his foothold slipping, all of his concentration centered on weathering the pitch-hued blast.  
"I knew he was quite strong, but this...insane!"  
In a few seconds, the evil had subsided. Maximillian felt himself alone with the dark pair, his entourage annihilated. However, he himself felt empowered. It seemed to Gnosa that his energy had been replenished to its peak before the incident. He stood up straight, and readied his counterattack, noticing that his hair was much longer now.  
"Is that all?" he foolhardily sneered at Klein, who's weapon had returned to its original form, though the demonic appearance of the wielder remained. Gnosa was feeling fairly sure of himself now that his curse had seemingly been reversed.  
"I'm disappoined, Maximillian," the otherworldly voice despaired. "I thought you were done underestimating me. King Bleeder! Atum em Behdety- Seker!"  
"Now what?"  
"It makes sense that my power weakened your curse, but I'm no where near done yet."  
"Oh?"  
"That's right."  
"BLEED!" the giant weapon screamed.  
"Again?" Maximillian complained. This time, though, the sword became a very dark grey, and began to lengthen. The extension didn't stop as it also widened and thickened.  
"I see what you're doing, Leonid."  
The blade was about four times its holder's height when the growth ceased.  
"Let's see you counter this!" King Bleeder's voice boomed, amplified with its size.  
"Very well!" Gnosa snickered, and from his cloak he drew a dark purple weapon of a design similar to Grospalina's, though the blade was sharper and more defined, and the upper edge significantly longer than the lower portion. A black jewel gave off purple shadows from just above the handle. It was a large gem, almost like an eye.  
"My blade shall go unnamed and be silent, but I'll say it's certainly a match for yours, Leonid Klein!"  
"Small, don't you think?" the Chaos Paladin asked sarcastically.  
"No matter."  
Maximillian's blade then quickly swelled to a size similar to King Bleeder's new form, though a bit shorter. Klein snickered and tossed his hair in mockery, closing his eyes for a moment.  
"Amazing you can actually carry that thing. But I'm a gentleman occasionally, so why don't you make the first attack?"  
Accordingly, Gnosa had started his charge shortly after Leonid began his ridicule. He ran with lightning speed that was most effective at closing the two-hundred-yard gap between the combatants, but Klein had his defense ready.  
"Idiot!" he growled as he brought his gray barge of a claymore below the attacker's guard in a second's swift motion.  
"No!"  
Maximillian dropped his blade in an attempt to parry, and made a weak block, but to no true avail. Leonid brought his sword back up and into his opponent's weapon, shattering it effortlessly.  
"How..." Gnosa stuttered.  
The humanoid Lucifer-Hawk narrowly raised an energy shield as the flat of the surviving blade smashed him, sending him hurtling into a nearby boulder, reducing it to rubble.  
"You're sure a rude one," Klein remarked. He closed his eyes once more, allowing his wings, fangs, and horns to retract. His other features became more human, and King Bleeder turned a bloody crimson once more as its normal size returned.  
"That wasn't much fun!" it complained as Maximillian emerged from the pile of stones his body's impact had created. His cape and hair were a mess, and he had a good deal of large cuts and bruises. Gnosa was no longer belligerent, though.  
"Finish me. I've got no chance against the AMP now."  
"Why would I want to do that? I didn't destroy two hundred Lucifer- Hawk and beat you into a pulp just for fun, you know. You needed to be taught a lesson."  
"Which would be?" Gnosa coughed, barely able to stand.  
"Leave the AMP alone."  
"WHAT?! How can you possibly say that?!"  
"Their existence is part of my plan. You are, too, Gnosa Maximillian. Think about it: Rally Cheyenne and Katsumi Liqueur have Lucifer-Hawk blood and know how to use their abilities in devasting fashions. Yuki Saito and Leybia Maverick each have an impressive mental attribute you don't see too often in humans, be it telekinesis and prescience, or just a nearly-unparalleled intellect. The one known as Kiddy is an interesting mixture of life and machine. Nami, Mana, and Lum- Cheng know how to harness the deeper reaches of the human psyche, or the elements themselves."  
"I realize that. I would know. What about them?" 


	2. Warning

Chapter 2: Warning  
Katsumi Liqueur stood by the window, watching the city's pace steadily quicken as the sun had set over the skyscrapers a few hours ago. She put a hand to her belly, as it had just begun to swell. Though the father was dead, she felt like Roy was standing next to her, his arm across her shoulders. She smiled, knowing how she carried Robert DeVice's unborn child in her womb. Katsumi jerked around to find Kiddy sitting at her desk, staring at her.  
"Girl, you're acting weirder than ever," the AMP's resident cyborg pointed out, frowning.  
"I've just...been thinking."  
"About what?"  
"The future, I guess."  
Kiddy had made such a fast and complete recovery once her systems were restarted, after Katsumi had "killed" her colleague with the evil sword Medium. The half-Megadyne didn't show any signs of the incident from about a month and a half ago. Things went right back to normal. Though the Lord of Nemesis and Gnosa Maximillian would have to be dealt with, Lucifer-Hawk attacks had dropped sharply in size and frequency. The city was rebuilding, and the population knew what was going on in back alleys and city parks. Almost immediately, civilian militias began to form, hoping to rid themselves of the inhuman menace, AMP or no AMP. They could be annoying, but proved to help control Tokyo's demonic infestation, giving the Attacked Mystification PD a hard-earned break.  
"You worry me, sometimes," Nami said suddenly, derailing Katsumi's train of thought, but not looking up from her work.  
"It's nothing to worry about. I'm okay," the expectant mother reassured her.  
"Even so," Yuki cut in. "Just now, I've been getting a really bad feeling about what could happen here tonight."  
"Huh?" Lum-Cheng questioned no one in particular, sitting straight up after having fallen asleep for a few minutes. "Like what kind of bad stuff?"  
"It's something...big," the telekinetic responded. "Something very powerful...and very evil."  
"While I'm not necessarily one to go on a hunch, Yuki's generally right about these things," Leybia confirmed. "Any other hunches?"  
"I feel like whatever IT is, it's going to happen around midnight."  
Everyone glanced at their watches, all seeing that it was 11:25. Mana walked in from Chief Cheyenne's office, wondering why everyone was checking the time.  
"I have missed something?" she questioned.  
"Yuki's thinks some kind of virulent dark force is headed to this building at midnight, Director," Leybia explained. "We were about to proceed with any sort of preparations necessary."  
"I see. The Chief is expecting someone about that time, so she'll be busy. Rally told me not to worry about the visitor, strange as it seems. We'll get ready, if Yuki thinks it's serious. How much time do we have?"  
"About thirty-five minutes," Nami answered. "I'll go set up a barrier around the building, and in the entrance hallway."  
"You do that," Mana told the priestess-turned-policewoman, who then took the elevator to the ground floor of the AMP's headquarters. "Everyone else can go help her, take your own precautions, then wait in...where should we all wait, Yuki?"  
"I keep seeing flashes of the lobby. Nothing happens. It's just there."  
"Alright, we'll wait in there. Get word to Nami."  
Just before everyone was to leave the room, the doors to the Chief's office opened, and Katsumi's sword, Grospalina, floated out in its compact form.  
"I got the feeling I could be useful just about now," he told his master.  
"That would be most appreciated," she invited. "Since you just came from her office, what's Chief Cheyenne doing right now?"  
"I'm really not sure, my master. She said she needed privacy."  
"Typical," Kiddy sighed. "Let's get going!"  
"Hey, Director," Lum-Cheng began. "What're you going to be doing?"  
"Helping you out, of course," Mana stated with a partial grin.  
"Let's not waste any more time," Leybia reminded them. "Nami's probably half done by now."  
They all made their ways to the elevator, Grospalina and Katsumi lagging behind a bit. He lowered his altitude to be parallel with the slight bulge in her abdomen.  
"So," he wondered. "Is that also going to be my master some day?"  
Katsumi, giggled, and walked into the elevator, her packaged sword following closely.  
"I'd say that's quite likely."  
The doors slid closed, and the car descended. 


	3. Darker

Well, no response from you cold-hearted otakus. Special thanks to Apex_Techie at Cafe Nintendo for actually reading this. It's been awhile, but I'll give it a shot. I hadn't planned to make this any more than seven chapters, so I think I may wind it down soon. Chapter 4's in the works, FYI.  
  
I still do not own Silent Mobius. If I did, that goth chick's name would be Tara, I suppose.  
  
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Chapter 3: Darker  
"Are you really that slow?" Klein asked, turning his back and sheathing King Bleeder.  
"I suppose. What is your plan, anyway?"  
"The advancement of humanity."  
"But I thought..."  
Leonid spun to face Gnosa, a wicked grin on his face. He drew his weapon again, and held it high about his head, "blood" pouring from every part of it, even on its master, who seemed to find it enjoyable. The substance began to spill neatly, and started to spread across a greater and greater area, cutting away anything in its path. Maximillian stumbled away frantically and climbed a large rock outcropping that was substantially higher than most in the area. It was a good place to avoid the miasmal stuff, as well as to have a viewpoint of what the Chaos Paladin was doing. He stared down in shock to find that the sword and wielder were now located in the center of a large, perfect circle of the liquid, and that lines of crimson had created a gigantic six-pointed star. The symbol began to shine a fiery red. Gnosa couldn't believe his eyes, thought better of himself, and was taken caught off guard once more as the very ground became an inferno, the symbol now outlined by black energy that rose far higher than the flames. The dark pair could still be seen clearly, though.  
"What the..."  
As Maximillian spoke, the cataclysmic power under the surface of the rubble escaped all restraint, and a great, white flash nearly blinded him. The brilliance lasted for nearly a minute before it slowly subsided. When he could see again, the Lucifer-Hawk sorcerer saw that the ruination of his previous surroundings had been replaced with a rolling plain. The cleft he had been standing on was rounded into a smaller, quaint hill. Gnosa looked up as a gentle rain began to fall in the twilight. It didn't smell or feel like the acidic deluges that drenched most parts of the city. He looked back to Klein, who was, ironically, holding a small tree sapling in his palm. The dark form looked at the ground, which quickly formed itself into a hole. The beast of a man calmly got to one knee, set the tiny plant in the moist soil, and packed dirt in around its root. Leonid stood and looked down at the new life he had planted. The sprig with its three leaves was unharmed by the rain, and even seemed to accept it as the water seeped into the earth around it. Maximillian's mouth hung open as he stared all around him, fertile, unscarred land stretching for miles, eventually ending in the darker tones of the wasteland.  
"No..." Gnosa stuttered. Klein leaped to where the astonished half- human stood trembling. He placed a hand on Maximillian's shoulder, looked down for a moment, and jerked his head back, his eyes burning black. Leonid grinned once more, the wings, horns, and fangs re-emerging. The wizard of Nemesis stood frozen, staring into the Chaos Paladin's eyes in sheer terror and amazement. Klein's voice boomed:  
"Gigelf Liqueur was my pawn. Little did he know that I was working through him. Do you understand now?"  
"You!" Gnosa shouted as he tore away and took several steps back. "You did it!"  
"That's right!" the now-otherworldly voice roared. "I brought about the Silent Crisis! I orchestrated the deaths of billions from start to finish! Even now, I control what lives on this planet! And do you know why I'm doing this?"  
Maximillian suddenly began to laugh uncontrollably.  
"You intend to remove humanity's weakness! You brought Lucifer-Hawks to this world to... breed with humans! I suppose I should be thankful!"  
Klein's voice speech to a more regular tone, but he wasn't pleased, and showed it.  
"You're just a side-effect!" he sneered. "It's not about Nemesis at all! Not to say that your species wasn't useful in the grand scheme of things."  
"Then..."  
"The Silent Crisis is just like any other time of hardship in human history. It allows only those who are stronger to survive."  
Leonid paused, and turned away from Gnosa on his heel.  
"But in this case, do not get me wrong, Gnosa Maximillian. It's no longer about who's strongest. When people become isolated, they live their lives the ways they really want to. Eccentricities can thrive. Differences are necessary for survival. What happens to some won't happen to others."  
Maxillian, having recovered a bit of his strength, moved to face Klein.  
"So, what's this thing that's going to happen?"  
"An ultimate, horrible truth that would end humanity forever."  
"Why do you care about saving mankind?"  
Klein sighed, and the burning in his eyes partially subsided.  
"It's not easy being me, the supreme indecision of the human race, and something just as destructive, though a bit less unpredictable. I need to destroy, as a rule, but I'll need something to destroy. This final truth would remove everything I could really destroy, and I would be obsolete. If mankind, and the Lucifer-Hawk, cannot learn to fight for themselves, then I will, but I will be forced to eliminate them before the apocalyptic truth comes. It would be necessary."  
"So...you want the strong, or unusual, I suppose, to survive and stop...whatever this great verification of the universe and what not, correct?"  
"That's right! You can be sure of my word. When I eliminate all other intelligent life, the planetary death and torment will bring my power beyond all else. But then, I would destroy the universe, and everything would cease to exist, my self and King Bleeder included. I'm self-centered in the fact that I don't intend to ever be removed from reality. And, if there was no universe, where would I find any women? The AMP, other elite human groups around the world, and the spawn of Nemesis are the forerunners of a new super race that I need for my own selfish intentions. I can imagine that they would like to not go extinct, as well. Your cooperation is necessary for your survival."  
"I see. Very well," Gnosa agreed with a nod. "But must humans and Lucifer-Hawks coexist?"  
"If one world was to be eliminated, it would end up being Nemesis. I personally don't hold anything against your brethren," Klein explained.  
"So be it."  
"You know," the Chaos Paladin began. "You and that Rally Cheyenne would've made a cute couple."  
"WHAT?!"  
"Just a wild suggestion..."  
"So long as it's not mandatory," Maximillian grumbled with a sigh of relief. "Well, what are we supposed to do right now?"  
"Good question. We could continue to devour those who won't be much use in the long run. Such people are far too common. I refer to the fools who are only interested in their own lives remaining normal and safely uneventful. Such creatures are useless. There is no such thing as safety. I'm really itching for another fight now, though. Would you like to attack these AMP women who bother you so much?"  
"That would do nicely!" Gnosa rejoiced. "But I'd say I'm in no shape for that right now."  
"Not a problem," Leonid reassured. "I'm going to completely reverse your curse, and give you a nice increase in power that should help you deal with Ms. Cheyenne's pact with the Lord of Nemesis. Sound nice?"  
"Indeed. Go ahead."  
"This may hurt," Klein warned as he drew King Bleeder.  
"King Bleeder! Augmentation Severance!"  
"Bleed!" the no-longer-silent sword screamed as it began to writhe in its wielder's hands, the blood covering Maximillian in crimson. To finish the spell, Leonid brought the blade to his side, then swung it back around and straight through Gnosa's chest. The sorcerer of Nemesis experienced no pain, even as the weapon was removed, pulling along the crimson with it, and leaving no physical mark. He felt that his dark energies were completely restored, and to far higher levels than he had previously been able to reach. The seamlessly patched Lucifer-Hawk suit and cape now reflected no light, the same way the Chaos Paladin's did. Leonid resheathed his blade.  
"No pain?" Klein asked.  
"None," Maximillian replied, feeling proud.  
"Well then, you're just as cold as I thought you were. Had to make sure, though. Barring Katsumi Liqueur, I will allow you to kill one of the AMP, as required by that spell."  
"Why would you let me do that? You didn't have to give me a power upgrade."  
"I need to cause pain, and attacking the AMP could prove to be a fun little affair. I need to keep Ms. Liqueur alive to study her power. It could some day come somewhere near rivaling my own. Somewhere near, but never quite, of course. I'll give you a good one-on-one fight. So, who do you pick?"  
"That's simple. Rally Cheyenne," Gnosa said without a second thought.  
"Saw that one coming," Leonid replied. "Wait until around midnight. That's what they're expecting. It does for atmosphere."  
"By now, she knows I'm headed there, anyway. In fact, she's been monitoring my movements since my last attack went awry. I'll need you to hold the rest of them off."  
"Guaranteed. Arrive however you wish, but wait until I've gotten there. You'll know when I do."  
"Alright," Maximillian concluded. "I'll be off, then."  
He vanished into the night without another word.  
"I guess we better be on our way, too," King Bleeder mentioned.  
"It's a good half an hour by foot," Klein answered with a nod, and started off, bounding over the ruins at a mad pace until he reached the first intact street, where he broke into a run for several miles, startling countless motorists into collisions. Afterwards, the Chaos Paladin calmly walked the final stretch.  
  
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And that's an update, now after about a month. Please review, if you're actually out there. Anyway, I refuse to apologize to Rally fans. I have to kill off someone SOMETIME in my fanfics. Chapter 4 should be along by the weekend. I thank you all in advance, should you have R&R'd this. 


	4. Challenge

And... I lied. Here's Chapter 4. I forgot that I had it almost ready to go. Chapter 5, now, will be around by next week. Now that I've said that, it won't. Maybe I'll just obsess tonight and have it off, or perhaps all one of my loyal readers will be waiting until next month. It's awhile 'til April...  
  
Unfortunately, I still do not own Silent Mobius. Guess I'm just not pimp enough.  
  
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Chapter 4: Challenge  
  
Klein now stood outside the AMP headquarters, the acidic rain corroding the pavement, but not even wetting a hair on his head. He pursed his lips, shifted his weight from one leg to another, put on a sinister, surreal grin, and headed inside, the doors opening by themselves long before he got near. Upon entering the well-lighted hallway, Leonid noticed that the walls were covered with protective talismans.  
  
"Seems I've been expected. That Nami girl must've put those up. Figures that Yuki Saito saw me coming an hour away."  
  
"You did walk here. Oh well," King Bleeder sighed. "Those things can't stop us."  
  
As the malignant pair passed each magical scroll, it reacted violently with their ill aura. Each fired a large bolt of white lightning into the Chaos Paladin's energy, which returned fire with black electricity, incinerating the amulet, leaving a charred outline on the wall. Klein chuckled.  
  
"Here's an interesting little situation," Leonid jested as he entered the reception room to find the AMP waiting for him. "Well, now. What've we got here? It's Katsumi Liqueur with Grospalina ready to greet us. Kiddy's got herself a nice sidearm. Leybia, too. Nami's packin' a gnarly- looking sword. I'd wager Yuki's been practicing that whole telekinesis thing. There's Lum-Cheng and her elemental staff. Good of you to join us, Mana. Was Chief Cheyenne unable to come?"  
  
Each member of the AMP stared open-mouthed. Kiddy spoke first, shaking a fist.  
  
"Who are you, and what do you want?"  
  
"Well, you're quite direct with your introductions. The name's Leonid Klein. I've got an appointment with Rally Cheyenne. That's all. Can I get a little help here, ladies?"  
  
Suddenly, Yuki hunched over, her head pounding with visions of the future, and looked up a moment later with a startled expression.  
  
"In the Chief's office!" she yelled. "Everyone! It's Gnosa Maximillian!"  
  
"You're sure it's him?" Katsumi asked, trying not to quiver.  
  
"Definitely! There's no mistaking it!"  
  
"Come on!" Kiddy shouted.  
  
"Sorry, but duty calls!" Nami told Klein with a bow. "Nice to meet you!"  
  
"I said 'Come on'!" Kiddy reminded, starting drag her colleague along behind her. She called back to the stranger: "Our apologies! Now is no time for small talk!"  
  
Leonid raised an eyebrow as the female police officers all headed toward the elevator. He raised his foot, and brought it down hard. The AMP members stopped in their tracks as a wall of indigo fire flared up a few feet from the elevator.  
  
"Hey!" Mana yelled in the direction of the surreal walk-in. The director and her comrades ran back to the lobby to find Klein shaking his head, a crazed grin on his face.  
  
"No admittance!" he roared before beginning a round of demonic laughter that resonated across the room. "You musn't think I've lied to you, because I haven't. Mr. Maximillian and the two of us do indeed have an appointment with Chief Cheyenne, and we can't be bothered. Just leave us to our work."  
  
"That's not going to happen!" Lum-Cheng protested. "You're with that creep, and we can't let you hurt the Chief! Who are 'the two of us,' anyway?"  
  
"Shall I introduce you, or would you rather do it yourself?" Leonid asked the massive weapon on his back, which he then drew, spilling "blood" accumulated from the last battle all over the floor.  
  
"I will," it replied. "I am King Bleeder! No dumb sword shall ever best me!"  
  
"King Bleeder!" Grospalina suddenly called out, shocked.  
  
"Well, if it isn't Grospalina! So you've finally found yourself half a master! You couldn't possibly have believed you had finished me!"  
  
"I guess not..."  
  
"You know that thing?!" Katsumi demanded of her serrated companion.  
  
"Yes, we..."  
  
"Anyway," Klein cut in. "I wish to see how many I can subdue by myself. Is that alright?"  
  
"Feeling that twig of a sword's pitiful concern will be enough for now," his blade answered, not seeming to mind a loss of action at all.  
  
"Alright," Leonid said, and sheathed his weapon. "So, who wants to go first?"  
  
"Bring it on!" Kiddy spat, already sprinting towards the intruder. She raised a fist, preparing a serious of bone-breaking punches. "Hyah!"  
  
The cyborg followed through, aiming her blows at Klein's head. But despite the speed of her attack, he dodged each punch with ease, his movements almost a blur. The Chaos Paladin and angry redhead darted about the room.  
  
"Why won't you stay still?!" Kiddy snarled, furious with her lack of accuracy.  
  
"Sure."  
  
He stopped, caught one fist in his palm, and pulled her directly into his knee, knocking the wind out of her. Leonid calmly hurled her against a wall, leaving a deep outline as she slid onto the floor limply. She glared at him, but couldn't get anywhere close to avoiding the kick to the side of her head that, with some strange footwork, sent her to the other side of the room, where she lay still.  
  
"Kiddy!" Yuki screamed in horror.  
  
"Quiet, girl! She'll live," Klein snapped. "Dare I say it? Next!"  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"Figures the one I tell to shut up would get a bit more agitated. Let's see what you've evolved into, Ms. Saito."  
  
Yuki yelled, and sent a massive wave of mental energy roaring across the room. The Chaos Paladin shot his right arm out, spread his fingers wide, and flexed his arm muscles.  
  
"Hah!"  
  
An equally strong blast met with Yuki's and the two powers locked into a telekinetic shoving match. However, the black force quickly began to prevail over the red one. While his attack slowly pushed Yuki towards the wall, Leonid apathetically allowed Leybia to run over to where Kiddy was lying, remove her large gun from its holster and draw her own, and take aim at his back.  
  
"Everyone! Yuki can't hold him off by herself! Coordinate your attacks!" she called to the other members before firing several shots at Klein, who didn't seem to be bothered.  
  
"You do that," he said nonchalantly. "But I prefer to match blow for blow. King Bleeder, this is where you come in."  
  
Leonid drew his gigantic blade, not spilling as much of the crimson substance this time. He aimed it a directly at Leybia, still stoical to her two-gun assault. The top edge panels slid open once more, and the three barrels extended.  
  
"Leybia, move!" Lum-Cheng shouted, and the AMP's resident computer genius heeded her words. She attempted to run for cover, her weapons still blazing. However, she didn't know how fast he could fire.  
  
"Agony Round!" Klein roared as the top turret launched a small, hazy, purple energy bullet. Leybia was caught by surprise by the impossible velocity of the shot, and it struck her square in the chest, but she continued to run. Officer Maverick stopped, wondering why the attack had no effect. The barrels retracted and the edge became sharp once more.  
  
"What the...Ack!"  
  
"Leybia!" Katsumi called as her teammate fell to the ground, screaming and writhing in anguish.  
  
"Why you!" a voice shrieked from outside Leonid's peripheral vision. Nami had drawn her legendary sword, leapt into the air, and was bringing the burning light of the blade toward the Chaos Paladin in a downward slash. But he had seen her just in time, and with inhuman agility brought King Bleeder into a guard position, holding it like an assassin would when about to stab a victim. The weapons clashed, the tension shooting lightning and sparks. Klein grinned.  
  
"You took me by surprise there. That's the spirit!"  
  
"Just being a team player!" the priestess shot back. At that moment, Leonid was reminded that he hadn't quite defeated Yuki's bomb of mental energy, as it suddenly returned with a new enthusiasm and pinned him against the wall.  
  
"Well now, aren't we... grr... clever! Rah!"  
  
Klein's weakening telekinetic barrier roared back to life, throwing itself against the aggressor, burning black.  
  
"I... can't hold him!" Yuki groaned. "He's way... too powerful!"  
  
Just as the psyonic's heel met the wall, a strange light radiated from Mana, who calmly got into a stance that would allow her to focus her energy. She whispered a spell, and a large, blue sphere rose in front of her. The orb flashed, vanished, and reappeared, letting loose a broad beam of magical force in Leonid's direction. It was stopped on his barrier, though it gained ground, slowly but surely.  
  
"Thanks, director!" Officer Saito chirped, and redoubled her own mental defenses, also gradually draining the Chaos Paladin's no-longer- raging psychic offensive.  
  
"This could actually prove problematic!" he growled, as he moved his sword to his other hand in to continue the task fending off strikes from Nami's holy weapon.  
  
"You bet we could! Fire Formation!" Lum-Cheng responded boastfully as she brought her staff forward and an inferno erupted from the tip, also colliding with Klein's failing shield.  
  
"I see why that sorcerer has such a problem with you ladies," he conceited, still holding his own to some extent. "Not...quite good enough, though!"  
  
The sinister aura surged forward, but still could not prevail as those four AMP members continued their barrage. Elsewhere, another two other great powers were entwined in a deathmatch. In this instance, though, fate pitted Lucifer-Hawk against Lucifer-Hawk.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
No prophetic outro for you all this time around. Review if you happened to read this. Much appreciated. 


	5. Author Seeking Assistance!

Author seeking assistance!

All right, everyone, I want to get back to work and finish this story. I appreciate the reviews I've gotten so far.

Now, I have some requests before I can continue, and I would really, really, REALLY appreciate some help:

1. I need to know about any spelling errors I've made so far. I know I've misspelled Ganossa's name, and I'm going to work on that.

2. I know where I can get the last names of all the AMP members now, but it would be more convenient in a single review.

3. Does anyone know how Katsumi's spell goes? I can't remember it for the life of me, and it'll be instrumental later on.

If I can get all that, then things will be hunky-dorry, and I may finally deliver an update.

I'd like to thank the girls of OSTOCOM for their lovely website. I think it shall be handy.

Rock steady.


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